# SeldonFrame vs Botpress: Which Should You Choose? (2026)

> Powerful rails, but you're the builder, the host, and the integrator. SeldonFrame ships the finished front office — agent, website, CRM, booking — from one conversation, for $29/mo flat.

Last updated: July 2026. HTML version: https://www.seldonframe.com/compare/seldonframe-vs-botpress

## The short version

- **Botpress pricing:** Free tier, then **$89–$495/mo** + AI spend; channel fees historically billed separately
- **SeldonFrame pricing:** **$29/mo** **flat**, **unlimited workspaces**, first workspace **free forever**
- **Pick Botpress if:** You have engineers and need code-level control
- **Pick SeldonFrame if:** You want the finished result, not the rails to build it yourself

## SeldonFrame vs Botpress: what you need to know

Botpress and SeldonFrame usually end up on the same shortlist for different reasons. Botpress is an open-source-rooted, developer-focused platform for building and running AI chatbots and agents. SeldonFrame comes at the same problem from the other direction: one flat $29/mo workspace where the AI receptionist, website, CRM, booking calendar and intake forms arrive pre-wired — generated from a single conversation in about 3 minutes.

Choose Botpress if you have engineers and need code-level control, or want to self-host a custom conversational product. SeldonFrame's case is the opposite one: when the outcome you're buying is answered calls, qualified leads and jobs booked into a CRM you own, that whole front office ships on day one and the economics stay flat as you grow. The rest of this page walks the differences row by row — pricing model, the AI receptionist, the business system behind it, whitelabel, and what switching actually takes.

We make SeldonFrame, so read this with that in mind — but we've tried to be specific about where Botpress genuinely wins, not just where it doesn't.

## Full feature & pricing comparison

| Feature | SeldonFrame | Botpress |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Agencies & builders running AI front offices for clients | Developer teams building custom bots with code-level control |
| Pricing model | From **$29/mo** **flat** — **unlimited workspaces** (agency whitelabel from **$99/mo**) | Free tier, then **$89–$495/mo** + AI spend; channel fees historically billed separately |
| AI receptionist (calls, SMS, chat) | Native — AI receptionist answers, qualifies & books across voice, SMS & web chat | Chat-first; voice needs to be built separately — no ready-made phone receptionist |
| Website, CRM & booking behind the agent | Included — multi-page website, CRM, booking calendar, intake forms, review requests in every workspace | None — bot infrastructure only |
| Whitelabel & client workspaces | Included — whitelabel client portal, per-client workspaces, custom domains, one-click multi-client deploy | Branding removal on paid plans; no full agency resale program |
| AI usage costs | BYOK — bring your own AI (and Twilio) keys and pay providers at raw cost, zero markup | AI spend bundled per plan (post-May-2026); previously billed on top at raw provider rates |
| Sell / resell what you build | Built in — publish agents to the marketplace or rent them via MCP (**5%** marketplace fee) | No native agency reseller motion |

Prices checked July 2026 on [Botpress's pricing page](https://botpress.com/pricing).

## Where Botpress wins

- An open-source core — real extensibility and self-hosting
- Developer-friendly for custom logic and running multiple bots
- The May 2026 pricing update bundled AI spend and unlimited bots
- A generous free tier (100 conversations/mo)

The honest take: Choose Botpress if you have engineers and need code-level control, or want to self-host a custom conversational product.

## Where SeldonFrame wins

- **A finished result, not raw infrastructure** — Botpress gives you rails to build on. SeldonFrame builds the working agent AND the business system it runs on — site, CRM, booking — just from a description of the client.
- **No engineer needed per client** — Advanced Botpress setups mean custom build work and upkeep for each bot. SeldonFrame deploys per client in one click from a template, with per-client customization built in.
- **Phones, not just chat widgets** — Local businesses win or lose on answered calls. SeldonFrame's receptionist is voice-first, with SMS and chat on the same brain — nothing to wire up yourself.
- **Flat, easy-to-read pricing** — Subscription plus AI spend plus channel fees is three separate bills. SeldonFrame is one flat $29/mo, with usage on your own keys at provider cost.

## Pros & cons, side by side

### SeldonFrame

- **Pro:** An AI receptionist that answers calls, SMS, and web chat — and books real jobs into a real calendar and CRM
- **Pro:** The whole front office included: multi-page website, CRM, booking, intake forms, review automation
- **Pro:** $29/mo flat with unlimited workspaces — bring your own key and AI and phone service run at raw provider cost
- **Pro:** Whitelabel built in: branded client portal, per-client workspaces, custom domains, one-click multi-client deploy
- **Pro:** Build it free before you sign up — paste a URL, get a working workspace in about 3 minutes
- **Pro:** Open core and portable — your agents are plain, editable skill files, and your data lives in your workspace
- **Con:** No funnel-builder or email-campaign suite — it's a front office, not a marketing automation platform
- **Con:** You bring your own key (Claude, ChatGPT, or Gemini, plus optional Twilio) — setup takes a few minutes
- **Con:** Newer platform — a smaller template library and community than decade-old incumbents
- **Con:** No native mobile app yet (the dashboard works fine on a phone browser)

### Botpress

- **Pro:** An open-source core — real extensibility and self-hosting
- **Pro:** Developer-friendly for custom logic and running multiple bots
- **Pro:** The May 2026 pricing update bundled AI spend and unlimited bots
- **Pro:** A generous free tier (100 conversations/mo)
- **Con:** Needs real engineering to set up and maintain
- **Con:** A history of costs stacking (subscription plus AI spend plus channel fees)
- **Con:** Chat-first — a ready-made phone receptionist isn't the product
- **Con:** No built-in agency resale program

## How to switch from Botpress to SeldonFrame

1. **Build the replacement free (3 minutes)** — Paste the business's website into seldonframe.com. SeldonFrame pulls out services, FAQs, and business facts and builds the workspace: site, CRM, booking calendar, intake, and the AI agent. No account needed until you claim it.
2. **Bring what matters over** — Your knowledge bases and intents map onto the agent's knowledge and skills. Most Botpress front-office bots come down to SeldonFrame's built-in receptionist plus a few FAQ entries.
3. **Connect your keys and number** — Add your AI key (Claude, ChatGPT, or Gemini — about 30 seconds) and, for phone, connect your Twilio number so calls and missed-call text-back run at carrier cost.
4. **Test the agent, then go live** — Every agent ships with automatic tests. Talk to it, watch it book into the calendar, then publish. Point your domain over when the site's ready.
5. **Run both in parallel for a week** — Keep the old tool running while SeldonFrame answers the phones. Cancel it once the CRM shows the bookings landing — cancel-anytime on both sides means zero risk.

## FAQ

**Is SeldonFrame open too?**

SeldonFrame is open-source at its core, and everything you build is portable. Your agents are defined in plain, editable skill files, your data lives in your workspace, and bringing your own key means the AI relationship is yours.

**Can I still customize deeply without code?**

Yes. Agents are built from six pieces — surface, skill, tools, knowledge, guardrails, voice — that you edit in plain language. Developers can go deeper through the MCP/API layer.

**Is SeldonFrame a good Botpress alternative?**

For most agencies and builders, yes — SeldonFrame replaces the AI-front-office job (answering, qualifying, booking, tracking in a CRM) at $29/mo flat instead of Botpress's stacked pricing. See the full switching guide: /alternative-to-botpress.

**How much does Botpress cost compared to SeldonFrame?**

Botpress: Free tier, then $89–$495/mo + AI spend; channel fees historically billed separately. SeldonFrame: $29/mo flat, unlimited workspaces, first workspace free forever, with AI and telephony on your own keys at raw provider cost — no per-minute or per-credit meter.

**How can SeldonFrame be $29/mo flat when competitors charge per minute or per credit?**

Because you use your own keys. Your agents run on your own AI key (Claude, ChatGPT or Gemini) and, for phone, your own Twilio account. You pay the providers at raw cost. SeldonFrame never marks up tokens or minutes. You pay for the platform, not a meter.

**Do you take a cut of what I charge my clients?**

SeldonFrame works like Shopify: $29/mo flat, plus 2% on sales made through SeldonFrame checkout, plus 5% when you sell agents on the SeldonFrame marketplace. Client retainers you bill outside SeldonFrame cost nothing extra.

**How fast can I see it working?**

Paste in a business's website (or just describe it in a sentence). SeldonFrame builds the whole workspace — site, CRM, booking, intake, and the AI agent — in about 3 minutes. It's free, and you don't need to sign up first.

## Get started

- Full switching guide: https://www.seldonframe.com/alternative-to-botpress
- Start free (build the workspace in ~3 minutes, before signing up): https://www.seldonframe.com/signup
- Book a 15-minute demo: https://app.seldonframe.com/book/seldonframes-workspace-7798/default
- All comparisons: https://www.seldonframe.com/alternatives